the plots thicken

Meanwhile, back at the pennant race: Former Itawamba Community College standout Desmond Jennings went 1-for-4 with a walk in his return from the disabled list on Monday night. Jennings helped Tampa Bay beat division rival Baltimore 4-3 and stay a game back of first-place Boston in the American League East. … Mitch Moreland contributed a two-run double and also scored during Texas’ 11-run third-inning outburst against hapless Houston. The former Mississippi State star now has 20 doubles, 17 home runs and 50 RBIs for the Rangers, who stayed a half-game up on Oakland in the AL West with their 16-5 romp over the Astros. … The A’s, who held a nice lead in the division not so long ago, haven’t been getting much from Ole Miss product Seth Smith. He is 2-for-20 in August and has seen his average skid to .241. … Ole Miss alum Zack Cozart drove in two runs and had a hand in two sweet double plays as Cincinnati topped Arizona 5-3. The Reds, third in the wild, wild National League Central, are just 2.5 games back of leader Pittsburgh in the division and have a firm grip on the second wild card. … St. Louis, second in the NL Central (1 game back), throws former Rebels ace Lance Lynn at Milwaukee tonight. Lynn is 13-6 with a 3.89 ERA but has won just one of his last four starts. ... Ex-State star Jonathan Papelbon registered his first save since July 11 for Philadelphia, which is out of postseason contention for the second straight year. Papelbon, thought to be on the trading block, has 21 saves on the season. P.S. Former Hattiesburg High slugger John Lindsey has changed uniforms yet again. The 36-year-old Lindsey, in pro ball since 1995, is now with the independent New Jersey Jackals. He began this season with Detroit’s Triple-A Toledo club, then moved to Campeche in the Mexican League, where he hit 20 homers. Lindsey has 292 career minor league bombs and 1,895 hits. He went 1-for-11 in his lone MLB stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010.